Best Chicken Soup Houston 2011 - Tacos del Julio

Unlike a standard caldo de pollo or caldo xochitl, the caldo Tlalpeño at Tacos del Julio calls for the addition of a very important ingredient: chipotle chiles in adobo sauce. The dark red chiles come in a little plastic cup full of adobo, allowing you to flavor the broth as you see fit as stocky white squares of queso panela bob throughout the soup. The vegetables are similarly thick: ripe hunks of carrot, avocado and potato are barely covered by the broth in the bowl. Dosed with generous squirts of fresh lime, the caldo Tlalpeño is the kind of stuff that will fully reinvigorate you — and for less than $4.